Memorial, Funeral & Grief Statistics (2026)
23 verified statistics on death, cremation, funeral costs, grief, memorials, and pet loss in the United States — each drawn from a named, authoritative source (NFDA, CDC/NCHS, US Census, APPA, AVMA, the American Psychiatric Association, and IBISWorld). Every figure links to its source. Free to cite with attribution to Scan2Remember.
Cremation vs. burial in America
- The US cremation rate reached 63.4% in 2025 — roughly double the burial rate of 31.6%. — NFDA Cremation & Burial Report, 2025. Source
- By 2045, NFDA projects cremation will account for 82.3% of US dispositions while burial falls to 13.0%. — NFDA Cremation & Burial Report, 2025. Source
- By 2035 the cremation rate is projected to exceed 50% in every US state and the District of Columbia. — NFDA Cremation & Burial Report, 2025. Source
Funeral & memorial costs
- The national median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial was $8,300 in 2023. — NFDA 2023 General Price List Study, 2023. Source
- The national median cost of a funeral with cremation and viewing was $6,280 in 2023. — NFDA 2023 General Price List Study, 2023. Source
- Between 2021 and 2023 the median burial funeral rose 5.8% — slower than the 13.6% general inflation rate over the same period. — NFDA 2023 General Price List Study, 2021–2023. Source
Death & mortality in the US
- A total of 3,090,964 resident deaths were registered in the United States in 2023. — CDC / National Center for Health Statistics, 2023. Source
- US life expectancy at birth was 78.4 years in 2023 (75.8 for males, 81.1 for females). — CDC / NCHS, 2023. Source
- The US age-adjusted death rate fell 6.0% to 750.5 deaths per 100,000 in 2023. — CDC / NCHS, 2023. Source
- The US population age 65 and older rose to 61.2 million in 2024 — 18.0% of the total population. — US Census Bureau, 2024. Source
- The 65-and-older population is projected to grow to 82 million by 2050 — a 42% increase. — Population Reference Bureau, 2022→2050. Source
Grief & bereavement
- Roughly 7% to 10% of bereaved adults experience prolonged grief disorder (persistent, impairing grief). — American Psychiatric Association, 2022. Source
- A meta-analysis found a pooled prolonged-grief-disorder prevalence of 9.8% among bereaved adults. — Lundorff et al., Journal of Affective Disorders, 2017. Source
- Complicated grief affects about 10% after a natural death, rising to roughly 50% when the death is by unnatural causes. — Population-based study (PMC), 2020. Source
Personalization & green-funeral trends
- 68% of respondents expressed interest in green funeral or natural-burial options in 2024. — NFDA Consumer Awareness & Preferences Survey, 2024. Source
- Interest in green funeral options climbed from 55.7% (2021) to 60% (2023) to 68% (2024) — a clear multi-year trend. — NFDA Consumer Awareness & Preferences Surveys, 2021–2024. Source
- NFDA now ranks cremation, personalization, and green burial as consumers’ top funeral preferences — above traditional elements such as religion. — NFDA Consumer Awareness & Preferences Survey, 2024. Source
Pets & pet loss
- Americans spent $158 billion on their pets in 2024. — American Pet Products Association, 2024. Source
- An estimated 95 million US households own a pet. — APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 2025. Source
- Dogs live in 42.6% of US households — a pet-dog population of 87.3 million. — AVMA Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook, 2025. Source
- Cats live in 32.6% of US households — a pet-cat population of 76.3 million. — AVMA Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook, 2025. Source
The death-care industry
About this data
Figures are compiled from primary and trade sources and were verified against each source at the time of publication (July 2026). Where a study’s original page had moved, the figure was corroborated across multiple independent reports citing the same study. If you cite these statistics, please link back to this page. Last updated: July 30, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
3,090,964 resident deaths were registered in the United States in 2023, according to the CDC / National Center for Health Statistics.
The US cremation rate reached 63.4% in 2025 and is projected to reach 82.3% by 2045, according to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA).
The national median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial was $8,300 in 2023, or $6,280 with cremation and viewing, per the NFDA 2023 General Price List Study.
An estimated 95 million US households own a pet, and Americans spent $158 billion on their pets in 2024, according to the American Pet Products Association.
Roughly 7% to 10% of bereaved adults experience prolonged grief disorder, per the American Psychiatric Association; a meta-analysis put pooled prevalence at 9.8%.
Keep a loved one’s story
As cremation rises and headstones fade, more families are choosing digital memorials. Create a free digital memorial page for their photos, voice and story, and a small QR memorial plaque opens it from any resting place. Explore our memorial resource hub.